Al-Bairaq

AL-Bairaq (Arabic: البيرق‎‎^[1]) is a non-profit educational outreach program for high school students, allowing them to learn at the research environment in the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) at Qatar University, in Doha, Qatar.^[2] Students engage in scientific activities which aim to enhance their skills and motivation, and guide them in their future career. Students attend modules in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM fields).^[3]

The program doesn't use prepared lessons, but instead aims to motivate students with enjoyable project-based learning, encouraging them to solve authentic problems which require them to work as a team to arrive at solutions. The program uses social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to allow students to communicate their ideas, and to display their resulting products.^{[4][5][6] [7][8][9]}

Any student at a Qatari secondary school (independent and international) is eligible to participate. Faculty members train and mentor the students to help develop their critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Students, in teams, formulate their own research questions related to materials science; build a research plan; investigate, using the CAM's instrumentation. They report their findings in a public forum, evaluated by representatives from business and industry.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]}

The program was developed with UNESCO and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. Its sponsors are RasGas, Maersk Oil, and Shell.

Program tracks

AL-Bairaq includes four tracks: I am a Researcher, I am Discovering Materials, Science in Sport, and Solving Problems. In each track's semi-final and final events, students compete for several prizes and competitions. The competing candidates are evaluated by a selected panel of judges from different scientific, business, and industrial organizations.

I am a Researcher

This track is designed to stimulate students' curiosity about science through experimenting with different materials in laboratory setting under professional supervision and guidance. "I am a researcher" offers high school students in Qatar a unique opportunity to get involved in real research conducted at the CAM and other departments in Qatar University, working with the university professors and professional researchers in portions of their current research so that students are able to manage their own hands-on research projects.^{[16][17][18][19][20]}

Students demonstrate their understanding of the scientific concepts as well as their ideas and thoughts via PowerPoint and other presentation tools. They present in a public forum and their learning and work are evaluated by a jury from business and industrial organizations. In addition to research activities, and as complement to them, “I am a Researcher” track include many science and art competitions where participants in their groups will be candidates for winning one of our multiple and various prizes. Winners will be selected, based on pre-defined criteria, by a panel of experts formed from sponsor companies and from business and industrial organizations in Qatar.

I am Discovering Materials

This track aims to introduce the students to variety of topics in materials science. These modules are all built around a common structure, where four or more related activities introduce an important topic in contemporary materials science. Through these activities, students learn about the topic by investigating key features of the materials that are the focus of the module. Then students use what they have learned from the activities to participate in a design project. This project aims to inspire students to design, test, and build their own product that uses the materials which are the focus of the module.^[21][22] One example of students' projects is the conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol.

Students are encouraged to discover the interconnections between the STEM fields and society, and make a direct connection between what they are learning in class and their everyday lives.

Science in Sport

"Science in Sport" is involved in all areas of sport from timing, distance measurement, materials technology, and performance monitoring. The inspiration of science is found in every aspect of sport materials, and the technology is frequently working on better production for sports materials. Bringing the interest of the students in sports through technical aspects of science themes, may include design, materials, mechanics, dynamics, math, and engineering, to create sports materials using different simple materials.^[23][24]

Solving Problems

Through this track, students learn how to solve a problem through a simulation of a problem. They have the freedom to solve it under the supervision of the AL-Bairaq team.

Results

The effects of AL-Bairaq on the secondary school students are supported by the results of a research carried out in Qatar, which concluded that the advanced learning environment resulted in the improvement of the students’ ability to acquire and retain new knowledge. Furthermore, the advanced learning environment had a direct positive impact on students’ attitude towards research, and students gained positive attitudes towards work as well.^[25]

AL-Bairaq was named a 2015 WISE (World Innovation Summit of Education) Awards Finalist. It was chosen from six projects shortlisted for the best new solutions to education, adoption of latest practices, and their positive social impact.^[26][27]

See also

• Mariam Al Maadeed

References

External links

• Contact us
• RasGas media (English)
• Raya news (Arabic)
• Al-sharq news (Arabic)
• Al-watan news (Arabic)
• Raya news (Arabic)
• Raya news (Arabic)
• Raya news (Arabic)
• Arab online media (Arabic)
• Qatar University newsletter (Arabic)
• http://xn--mgbeh7c1c.xn--wgbl6a/ar/offices/er/media/view_release.php?id=1082 (Arabic)
• Qatar University newsletter (Arabic)